Feverish
by Winter's Dance
Summary: One-shot. China x Japan. Kiku catches the flu and Yao is taking care of him. Neither minds spending time with the other, but will their feelings stay secret, or will they come to light? Yaoi. Fluff. Enjoy!


Yao tiptoes into Kiku's room, balancing a bowl of soup in one hand and some medicine in the other. Silently, he sets them down on Kiku's bedside table. The nation himself is curled up under the covers of his bed, sick with the flu.

Secretly, though it is not a good thing, Yao loves flu season because Kiku is adorable when he is ill. His cheeks become flushed a light shade of pink from the fever, and Yao could swear that illness (when it does not make him completely insane) causes Kiku to be sweeter, more emotional.

But it's not like he can say this to the stirring form. Kiku sits up and coughs, looking miserable but saying nothing. He nods briefly and motions towards the soup before lapsing into a coughing fit.

"The soup is for you. Hopefully it'll help your throat ~aru." Yao smiles, and when Kiku looks up at him with those pouting eyes his heart all but melts.

"Arrigato, Yao-nii." Kiku smiles back before taking the soup. He eats only a small amount (as those who are ill tend to do) before setting the bowl back down.

He pulls the covers closer to his thin form, but keeps shivering. Yao knows this means he's got chills, which can be indication of a fever.

Without much warning he lays his hand over Kiku's forehead and takes into account the extra heat. Kiku blushes, but the colour is lost on his already pink face.

"You need medicine to help the fever ~aru," the older nation states, running his hand through Kiku's hair before picking up the bottle of medicine.

"I don't wanna take the medicine! It tastes worse than Arthur's scones!" Kiku pouts just a little bit. Secretly, though he'll never admit it, he enjoys getting sick. He can blame everything he does on the fever later, and it's an excuse for Yao-nii to spend some time with him.

But it's not like he can say that to the immortal.

"Too bad. I don't need this getting worse. What if something like last time happens ~aru?" Last time, the fever got so high that Kiku became delirious, and that was scary for Yao. He did not want it to happen again.

Kiku only spared a look up in disgust and another pout.

Yao found himself getting annoyed. "You are not five ~aru! You should be able to take medicine normally!" He calmed himself down as Kiku simply sat there with his mouth clamped shut.

Yao let out a sigh. Sometimes, when you were sick, things that had worked on you when you were little would have the same effect on you even when you were older. Im Yong Soo wouldn't take his medicine until someone tickled him and made him laugh so hard that he opened his mouth. Unfortunately, Kiku had always been stubborn.

But there was once trick that had worked with both Hong Kong and Taiwan…

"Say ahhhh ~aru." Yao's face was scarlet as he held the spoonful of medicine out to Kiku. At the age of five, this would have been fine. But now that they were older nations, it was…

Not worth complaining about, he decides as Kiku takes his medicine without protest.

"Yao-nii!" Kiku grabs the other nation by the wrist. "I'm still cold! Stay here and keep me warm!"

Yao sighs, but he eventually relents as he lies down on the bed as well. Kiku snuggles into him, still hot from the fever, but he doesn't mind. All he can think about is the smell of Kiku's hair, and the feel of skin against skin as Kiku wraps Yao's arms around him.

After a short while, it seems as though Kiku has fallen asleep. Yao untangles himself from the smaller nation's arms and stands up.

Almost instantly he is being pulled back down, but not into a hug. Kiku kisses him, and for a moment there is nothing but the smell of sakura blossoms and the sickly-sweet taste of medicine and the feel of Kiku so close to him.

And then it is over because Kiku is simply too exhausted to do anything but sleep. Yao brushes his hand across Kiku's face, and the smaller nation smiles.

"Goodnight, Yao-nii." Yao kisses his forehead as his drifts off into an easy slumber.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"KIKU!!" Yao shouts at the top of his lungs before deteriorating into another coughing fit. "Kiku! Get in here ~aru!"

Kiku, fully healed and back to his normal stoic self, appears in the doorframe. "Is everything alright Yao?"

"Everything is not alright!" comes the reply. "You got me si-si-aCHOO!" The loud noise causes Kiku to jump ever so slightly.

The island nation protests, "I do not see how this is my fault—everyone contracts an illness sooner or later. And it is the flu season."

"You don't get it, do you ~aru?! Your kiss is what got me ill!"

The other nation's eyes widen ever so slightly. "K-kiss? I kissed you?" He seems to be in disbelief as he walks over to check on Yao. "When did we k-kiss?"

Yao scoffs. "When you had a fever. I swear, it's like there are two different Kiku's when you're ill ~aru. Still, you don't have to sound so afraid. It was a really good kiss!" He blushes slightly at this statement.

Kiku turns even redder as he bends over to talk to Yao. His face looks just like it did with the fever—a little rosy, and very cute. Yao can't help thinking about what an adorable uke Kiku would make, if such a thing were ever to happen.

"If-if it was a good kiss," the younger nation stammers, "Then would you mind if I, uh, kissed you again?"

Yao laughs. Why on earth would he mind?! "But just one thing ~aru."

Kiku smiles. "Anything."

"If we both end up getting sick, this is _your fault_."

And with that, he pulls Kiku into a tight embrace and Kiku kisses him just as tenderly and sweetly as the first time.

The kiss breaks off after a short while, and both nations stop briefly to catch their breath.

But only briefly. For in kisses, as in everything else, the third time is a charm.


End file.
